Which Subversion client should I use?

I want to use Subversion source control for a PHP website. It is installed on the webspace I rent: hooray!

On the website of Subversion is a huge list of client-apps: http://subversion.tigris.org/links.html#all-clients

Which one can be recommended? I have Windows XP installed on my PC. And I don't want to pay for it, so a free client will do.

I've used Visual SourceSafe and Team Foundation Server in Visual Studio 2008.

EDIT: Perhaps one that integrates with Eclipse?

Edit 2: I found the article Ultimate Round-Up For Version Control with Subversion regarding Subversion in Smashing Magazine.

Natrium

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 438

The only problem you'll have with Tortoise in VS2008 is that it isn't integrated in VS, so you won't be able to check in/out straight in VS. But this is just a small inconvenient to me. I just want you to know that ;) – Marc-Andre R. – 2009-09-01T10:44:39.387

I'm not going to use VS. I just have experience with it, so anything that looks like that will work fine for me. – Natrium – 2009-09-01T11:13:21.963

From Jeff Atwood http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000660.html please don't use visual source safe.

– user – 2012-02-22T15:13:40.927

Answers

I use TortoiseSVN at work, and it works very well. I'm pretty sure it's one of, if not the most popular SVN client for Windows :)

It has Windows Explorer shell integration, so you get a nice TortoiseSVN menu in your right-click context menu.

And it's free!

BenA

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 5 245

Same for me. Used it on an important project; the shell integration was nice. – alex – 2009-09-01T10:31:48.070

I had already use it too, nice client, simple, easy to use, without some useless feature you can often get in SVN or CVS client. – Marc-Andre R. – 2009-09-01T10:42:18.687

Works like a charm... wonder when they would give us a toolbar? Don't really fancy their right click context menus. It takes away time. – ymasood – 2009-09-01T10:54:54.747

It simply works. – Randell – 2009-09-02T06:17:27.790

I use TortoiseSVN, and like it too, but the Shell Integration is its best and worst part. When you dont use it, it bloats up the memory, and cant just switch it off, as with non-shell clients, but the benefit it gives is worth the cost some times. – Dinesh Manne – 2009-09-02T08:29:27.010

AnkhSvn is a good (and free) Visual studio plugin for Subversion.

I also use TortoiseSVN (as recommended by BenA). The two work happily together.

Simon P Stevens

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 5 025

Used to be not-so-great, now it's (much!) better than VSS. The last half-reasonable-sounding excuse for using VSS is finally gone. – MGOwen – 2009-09-24T00:49:24.100

For use with Eclipse, you could try Subclipse. I haven't used it myself however, so I don't know its pros and cons!

BenA

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 5 245

1as subclipse is only available on x86 (32-bit platforms) you should really make sure to use a 32 bit JVM ..(unless you can build JavaHL on your own..)) That is why subversive uses java SVN Kit Connector, so it is a 100% pure java solution – Peter Parker – 2009-10-29T18:36:51.137

I agree that for most use TortoiseSVN is probably the best bet. But for some use cases, e.g. a bit more complicated merging operations, you might want to stick to the original svn command-line client, even on Windows. At least this is what I see my Windows-using colleagues do even if they normally use Tortoise...

See this answer and its comments (in a similar Linux question) for some justification and resources.

Jonik

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 5 352

Oh, and naturally IDE integration is the ultimate solution for many people. (From first hand experience I can say that IntelliJ IDEA's Subversion integration is excellent.) – Jonik – 2009-09-01T11:00:01.007

The Subversive project aims to provide Subversion (SVN) integration for Eclipse. The Subversive plug-in gives you the ability to work with this CVS successor version control system from the Eclipse workbench. You can work with Subversion repositories in almost exactly the same way that has long been possible with CVS repositories using the CVS plug-in bundled in the standard Eclipse distribution.

General features of the Subversive plug-in are quite similar to those of the CVS plug-in:

* Browse a remote repository
* Add a project to the repository and check out projects from the repository
* Synchronize a project to see incoming and outgoing changes
* Commit, update and revert changes
* See resource change history
* Merge changes

Subversive project

Narayan

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 171

I usually have installed four SVN clients here:

TortoiseSVN
SlikSVN which is the command-line subversion client, just without the OpenCollabNet registration and advertising crap.
AnkhSVN in Visual Studio
Subclipse in Eclipse

I tend to use either one, depending on in which environment I am currently. What's important to note, though: If you have multiple clients and Subversion changes the working copy format again, you have to upgrade all to a new version. Would be so much easier, if they all shared a single library ...

Joey

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 36 381

I use RapidSVN because I need to work in Windows and Linux, and this tool runs in both environments. It does the trick and it's free.

Tony

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 31

If you want a (free) solution that integrates into Visual Studio, you could give AnkhSVN a try. I've used it successfully before now, and the only reason I don't use it is that I prefer tortoise.

BenA

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 5 245

integration into Visual Studio is not a requirement. – Natrium – 2009-09-01T11:14:08.437

Free command line subversion client: SlikSVN

Visual studio plugin AnkhSVN

T. Kaltnekar

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 7 636

Another free command line client: CollabNet Subversion Client.

harrymc

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 306 093

Why the plugin available for your local installation of Netbeans of course!

bobby

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 399

+1 Subversion integration with Netbeans works flawlessly – Randell – 2009-09-02T06:15:24.423

I used Subclipse when I still used Eclipse, it also tied into mylar the bug-tracking plugin, tagging commits with the bug id.

Now, I just use the command line.

salmonmoose

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 1 675

smartSVN can be used for free in limited mode and it is quite good even with the limits.

petteri

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 143

Tortoise also has a plugin for Eclipse.

Natrium

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 438

For OS X, you cannot go past Versions. It would have to be the best GUI subversion client that has ever existed. It is such a shame that a similar program does not exist for Windows.

Josh Hunt

Posted 2009-09-01T10:15:35.327

Reputation: 20 095